<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>you're here, and that's all that matters by egnlotsc</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28039722">you're here, and that's all that matters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc'>egnlotsc</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Meet-Cutes and Cliches [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Happy Ending, Married Couple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:26:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28039722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Annabeth hated how well he knew her. She looked at her husband for the first time since he arrived, taking in the sadness in his green eyes and the pain etched into his features. "I wanted you to be there," she whispered, looking up at him as her voice trembled."</p><p>Percabeth (mortal) AU where Percy misses Annabeth's award presentation and she can't seem to shake the pain it caused, but maybe things will work out in the end with a little hope and a lot of love</p><p>-or the one where Annabeth is heartbroken over Percy's forgetfulness, Piper and Rachel are the best friends to ever exist, and deep down Annabeth knows everything will be okay once she seems him again</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Jason Grace/Piper McLean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Meet-Cutes and Cliches [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2062851</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you're here, and that's all that matters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Beth..." Percy's weary voice trickled through the phone's grainy speakers, the tinny noise filling the silence of the room surrounding her. Annabeth bit back another sob, furiously wiping her eyes before clenching her teeth in frustration. "It doesn't matter, Percy. Go do what you need to do." She didn't bother to mask the malice in her words. It was just like him to forget how much this meant to her. </p><p>She glanced out of the side room's glass windows at the lavish ballroom, taking in the couples dancing and laughing as the clock ticked closer to the beginning of the feast. She twisted the satin fabric of her dress between her fingertips, ignoring the tears still streaming down her cheeks and splattering at her feet. "Annabeth, you know I wanted to be there." Annabeth didn't respond, just gripped the phone tighter. </p><p>"The dinner is starting in a few minutes, Percy. I need to go if I want to be there in time for the awards presentation." She could hear his resigned sigh echo in the silence, but she chose to ignore it. "Goodbye." One push of a button caused her to feel more alone than she ever had. It wasn't his fault, per say, but the selfish part of her wanted him to fight for her. She wanted him to care enough to show up, was that too much to ask? </p><p>A soft knock on the door alerted Annabeth of the others present at the dinner. She wiped her eyes as best she could, knowing her mascara was ruined beyond repair. Patting her hair down and smoothing her dress, she pulled open the door to reveal Piper's concerned face. "Oh, sweetie," Piper whispered, pulling the door shut behind her. Piper gently smoothed Annabeth's hair, already beginning the process of braiding it to presentability. </p><p>"He-he's not coming," Annabeth whispered into the silence. Piper sighed, squeezing her hand in comfort. "You know he loves you, Annie," she reminded her. Annabeth glanced at the rings placed on her left ring finger - the symbol of her husband's love for her. But no matter how hard she stared at the glittering diamonds, she couldn't connect his promise to her two years prior to his actions that night. "Pipes, I don't know. Jason would show if it was you." Annabeth whispered the last part, but when Piper's fingers stilled in the middle of her minstrations, she knew Piper had heard her. </p><p>Piper spun Annabeth to face her, one of her hands holding Annabeth's braid together, the other on her hip. "Annie, don't compare my marriage to yours. I love Jason to death but we both know what you and Percy have is irreplaceable." Annabeth bit her lip, ignoring Piper's pointed look. "That boy would walk through hell for you, and you need to realize that." Deep down, Annabeth knew her best friend's words were true, but she couldn't shake the pain she felt when Percy had bailed on her ten minutes before the party's start, leaving her stranded in a ball gown at an upscale restaurant in downtown Manhattan. </p><p>Piper finished braiding Annabeth's hair before gently wiping her thumb under her eyes to fix her smudged mascara. "You are Annabeth Chase, lead project designer and winner of the annual Exemplary Achievement Award. That's all you need to know right now." Annabeth smiled in spite of her mood, wrapping Piper in a tight hug. "God, I love you." Piper smirked. "I know, Annie. Now let's go kick some corporate butt." Annabeth threw her head back and laughed, linking her arm through her best friend's. </p><p>***</p><p>Three hours had passed and Annabeth had kicked her heels to the side of the table she was currently sitting at, clutching the champagne glass in one hand and gripping Rachel's in the other. Rachel was her other best friend who had flown in from California to see Annabeth's product showcase. Annabeth tried to not focus on the other person in her life who had failed to show the same support. Rachel squeezed her hand as they laughed like teenage girls at a sleepover. Rachel glanced at the plaque balanced in Annabeth's lap, a small smile on her face tinged with sympathy. "I'm glad I was able to be here for you, Annie," she whispered. Piper hummed in agreement from Annabeth’s other side. "You know we'll always be here for you." Annabeth smiled, fighting back her tears of appreciation for two of the people she loved the most. </p><p>Rachel was about to speak when suddenly her gaze locked on something over Annabeth's shoulder, her green eyes widening. She heard Piper gasp next to her, Piper's grip tightening on Annabeth's hand once more. "Anna..." Piper whispered, trailing off. Annabeth had an idea of who had caught her friends' attention, if their reactions told her anything. Annabeth slowly turned around, her heart stopping at the man standing in the ballroom's doorway, his lopsided tie matching his messy black hair and regretful expression. </p><p>Annabeth turned back to Piper and Rachel, pulling both of them into a tight hug. "Wish me luck, girls." Piper nodded as she kissed Annabeth's cheek. "We'll be over there," Rachel told her before they walked off, glancing over their shoulders with a glare meant specifically for Percy. Annabeth smiled for a moment before taking a deep breath, slowly walking over to where he stood, leaning against the wall. She could feel his gaze trail up and down her, taking in her long, red cocktail dress with a high slight at the thigh and her messy braid that fell over her shoulder, but she continued walking until she was standing a few feet in front of him. </p><p>"Beth," he began, stepping foward, but she took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest as if to shield herself. She could see the hurt flash in his eyes, but chose to ignore it, at least for the moment. "What are you doing here, Percy?" She asked, cursing her voice for cracking on his name. "I missed you, Wise Girl," he replied. Annabeth tried not to react to the nickname, instead forcing her expression to remain neutral. She instead chose to stare out the window behind his head, watching the snowflakes fall gently to the ground. Percy, undeterred, walked up to her and gently placed his hands on her arms. "You have no idea how much it hurt me to miss the presentation, Annabeth. It killed me to sit there knowing I could be here, watching my amazing wife win an award." Her heart melted at his words, but she didn't let it show. </p><p>"And yet, you didn't show all because you lost track of time," she replied. He sighed, trying to hold it together. "Beth, you know I lost my watch at the game today. When I figured out I was going to be late, I called a cab only to find out they had cancelled all cabs for the rest of the day because of the storm front coming in. That's not my fault," he explained as gently as possible. She hated how well he knew her. Annabeth looked at her husband for the first time since he arrived, taking in the sadness in his green eyes and the pain etched into his features. "I wanted you to be there," she whispered, looking up at him as her voice trembled. Percy's hard expression melted as he noticed the tear sliding down his wife's cheek, and he immediately pulled her into his arms, rocking her back and forth slowly as she cried into his shoulder. </p><p>A few minutes passed before Annabeth pulled away, gently sniffling as Percy wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I never meant to hurt you Beth, ever. You mean the world to me. Don't forget that." She smiled, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before making a split-second decision. "Come on," she exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the snow. He glanced at her with an amused expression. "Annabeth, what are we doing out here?" She smiled, resting her arms around his neck. "It's Christmas Eve, and I want to kiss my handsome husband in the snow," she answered, giggling as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.</p><p>Percy leaned in, brushing his nose against hers. "I never told you how incredibly beautiful you look tonight," he whispered, his gaze trailing the length of her figure. Annabeth grinned, grabbing his tie and pulling him to her, pressing her lips against his. She could feel him grin before he deepened the kiss, gently biting her lip. Annabeth couldn't tell if she was numb from the kiss or the snow falling around them, but it didn't matter. She had everything she wanted in that moment as she sank into her husband's embrace and enjoyed the feeling of his lips against hers.</p><p>**</p><p>From: Annabeth</p><p>To: Piper, Rachel</p><p>okay, so maybe you were right</p><p>ah ha! the day finally came where THE annabeth jackson admitted i was right...wait what was i right about</p><p>this is why i don't text you piper</p><p>...percy loving me, duh</p><p>i knew i was the all knowing mentor!</p><p>you're not, piper</p><p>shut up, rachel.</p><p>i'm trying to impart my wisdom </p><p>btw, we saw that kiss, annie</p><p>that was hot</p><p>PIPER! not appropriate!</p><p>what? i'm just stating facts, rachel</p><p>i'm done talking to you two</p><p>c'mon annie we both know you don't mean that</p><p>okay you got me</p><p>thanks for being the best friends to ever exist, though</p><p>of course, annie. we love you</p><p>love you, annie! (and so does Percy)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm back with another slightly-too-angsty but fluffy nonetheless Percabeth one-shot! This time featuring two of my favorite friendships from the series. (Rachel doesn't get enough love, okay?)</p><p>I really like the way this one turned out. Of course it had to be Christmas themed, cliche - but did you expect anything less? If you couldn't tell, this is an AU - I tried to keep it canon-compliant but also make the characters completely mortal. Piper is Annabeth's coworker/other best friend!</p><p>Also a HUGE thank you to all of the support on my past two one-shots, it's so mind blowing to me! Once finals are over this week I'll have much more time to write so look forward to that!</p><p>See you next time :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>